Sir, – Minister for Health James Reilly's proposal to increase the price of tobacco products by 100 per cent makes very bad economic and health sense ("Reilly calls for packet of 20 cigarettes to cost €20", Front Page, June 27th).
If this measure is agreed and put through in the budget, the vast majority of smokers will travel to Northern Ireland and purchase their cigarettes there (and do the weekly shopping too while they’re at it), resulting in lost tax revenue to the State.
Would the Minister not consider reducing the price of cigarettes to reflect the price on the Continent, and in one swoop stop the illegal trade in contraband tobacco products overnight? – Yours, etc,
VINCENT DEVLIN,
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Oakview Avenue,
Dublin 15.